Eurotrip season is upon us, and whether one is vacating for a weekend or a month, it's imperative to make the most of every day - no sight unseen, no insty opportunity wasted. As such, one of the most important travel-related skills I have developed over my many seasons of traversing is the ability to shake off a long-haul flight and make it through the Jetlag Danger Zone relatively unscathed. These tips have carried me through multiple work days following redeye flights, so whether you're off on an adventure or landing back at home with a full day of responsibilities ahead, I hope you find them helpful.
Have A Shower
Wash the flight off. Get rid of it. Cleanse yoself, get a fresh start and hopefully wake yourself up a bit. Everything feels a bit better when you're clean, and if nothing else this will help you to feel marginally more presentable and capable of encountering other human beings.
Create Separation By Getting Dressed
The key to getting through the day is acting as though it's a normal day completely separate to your flight. Sitting around in the clothes you flew in is 1. not going to make you feel particularly phresh and 2. going to rob you of that sense of separation and make you feel like you're just living the longest day ever.
Eat A Good, Substantial Meal
Plane food is disgusting. No matter how good the airline is, even if you're in business class... plane food is just never a good time. So chuck some vitamins down ya and pad your stomach with some carby goodness to fuel the day. Personally I tend to feel a bit sick after long flights, but even then I still make sure to have a salad or something inoffensive but fresh. Avoid fast food and other easy but inadvisable alternatives.
Get Outside
Sunlight wakes you up. Fresh air is great. If you're outside it means you're not sitting on your couch scrolling through instagram and getting progressively more tired. Getting in contact with the outside world is also a bonus, especially if you've landed somewhere new.
Refreshing Face Mask/Treatments
If you've spent a solid amount of time stuck on a plane, chances are you're feeling a bit dehydrated and dull. Ain't no better way to combat a general lull than with a revitalising face mask, son. I'd personally go for one with some sort of refreshing, brightening or rejuvenating properties and a citrusy zing, as opposed to a heavy-duty clay mask, but it's up to you. Live your life. Chuck on whatever your skin yearns for. Even a basic cleanse and a solid serum will do the trick.
Interact With Unjetlagged People
Go out in public. Sit in a cafe. Hang out with friends or family members who have not just spent an eternity in the sky.
Surround yourself with life in the hopes that you may leech some of it for yourself.
Stay Away From Your Bed
Don't play with fire.
Be Productive/Get Something Done
Productivity will 1. make you feel more alert 2. pass the time and 3. help you check something off your To Do list, so it's a triple whammy. You're welcome. Do not, however, try and force yourself into tackling a task you really, really do not want to. That will only make sinking into bed seem more appealing and defeat the entire purpose of the exercise. Pick something that will make a difference without making you feel as though you're adding even more effort to your day.
Hydration Is The Key To Everything
This is a general rule for life, but particularly post-flight you're probably quite dehydrated so get on that agua, bois. You have no idea how often I hear someone bragging about how they drink "an entire litre of water a day" and have to restrain myself from informing them that they are, in fact, severely underhydrated, so even if you think you've had enough water you probably haven't. Grab yourself a big ol' bottle and carry it around with you.
Caffeinate Wisely
Only you know how you react to caffeine, so I won't tell you how to live your life. In my experience, however, one strong coffee when you're starting to flag is usually safe enough, but don't down four espressos after an early morning landing and expect to make it merrily to 10pm. Use ur noggin.
Let me know if you have any post-flight rituals that I've left out, and if you're anywhere interesting please buy me the worst magnet you can find. Otherwise have a sick 1, drink plenty of water and I will see you back here next week. xoxo
